US 101 Safety Improvements South of Salinas Request for Proposals:

1. APPROVE the Request for Proposals Scope of Work for the US 101 Expressway to Freeway Conversion Concept Analysis, subject to counsel approval;
2. AUTHORIZE staff to publish the Request for Proposals and return to the Board of Directors with a recommendation for approval of a consultant, including the final scope of work; and
3. APPROVE the use of funds from the approved project budget for this contract in an amount not to exceed $440,000.

The US 101 Expressway to Freeway Conversion Concept Analysis work will involve the development and review of various safety improvement concepts for the corridor using a robust public outreach process, data gathering and traffic modeling. The project limits for purposes of the analysis are from Chualar to Salinas.

The initial anticipated budget was $255,000; however, based on an independent cost estimate of the scope of work, the project budget is estimated at $440,000.  The project will be funded through Measure X funds and staff has confirmed the availability of the additional funds required.

US 101 south of Salinas is a four-lane expressway with at-grade intersections providing side street access at various locations between Salinas and King City.  Traffic volumes, speeds and fatal/injury crashes have increased tremendously over time.  Caltrans prepared a Project Study Report (PSR) in 2003 to begin the process of upgrading the segment of US 101 between Airport Boulevard in Salinas and Main Street in Chualar.  The concepts in the PSR proposed to close the US 101 median openings, convert US 101 from an expressway with multiple at grade intersections to a freeway with access control, construct a new interchange and frontage road system.  The PSR also proposed to eliminate all cross-traffic and left turns into and out of side streets with at-grade intersections to reduce fatal/injury crashes in this segment.  The concepts developed in the PSR were not refined enough to move them directly into the environmental review phase of the project.

This solicitation will request proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop and model a range of viable concepts to reduce crashes on US 101. The work will include a robust public outreach process with a community advisory group that includes land owners, growers, shippers, businesses, residents, and interested parties. The grass-roots citizens group, "US 101 South of Salinas Traffic Safety Alliance," will be a key partner in the public outreach and concept development process. The result of the study will be a set of publicly-supported project concepts to be environmentally reviewed in the next project phase. 

Other key aspects of the consultant's Scope of Work include (see attachment for details):

• Review existing conditions and traffic volumes
• Develop concepts and planning level cost estimates
• Model changes in traffic patterns for multiple viable concepts
• Create travel simulations to evaluate concepts
• Produce draft and final Concept Analysis document

The Agency will oversee the consultant work and development of the concept analysis in coordination with the City of Salinas, County of Monterey and Caltrans.  

Based on review of the received proposals and interviews (if needed) with the most qualified candidates, Agency staff will meet with the most qualified consultant or consultant team and negotiate a final Scope of Work and a Fee schedule for the project. Upon completion of negotiations, the consultants or consultant teams will be recommended to the Transportation Agency Board for final selection and contract approval.  The proposed schedule for the Request for Proposals is as follows: